94 points James Suckling: "Very fresh and floral with blackberry and blueberry character. Black truffle and sweet tobacco character. Full body, tight and tannic with lots of blue fruits. Just a baby. Beautiful now but will go on for years. (7/24/17)"
93 points Neal Martin (Wine Advocate): "The 2004 Vina Ardanza is a blend of 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha from 30-year-old vines in Fuenmayor and Cenicero. It is aged for 36 months in four-year-old American oak. It has a very enticing bouquet with dark cherry, Christmas cake, dried fig and espresso with fine delineation and bags of exuberance. The palate is medium-bodied with taut tannins, underpinned by a keen citric thread that cuts through the licorice-tinged, dark berry and allspice-tinged fruit with style. It is simply delicious on the bittersweet finish. Drink now-2020+. (Aug 2012)"
93 points Peñín Guide: "(tempranillo 80%, garnacha 20%). Colour: deep cherry, orangey edge. Nose: fruit liqueur notes, spicy, cigar, old leather, balsamic herbs. Palate: balanced, fine tannins, long, spicy. (2013)"
92 points Stephen Tanzer (International Wine Cellar): "(80% tempranillo and 20% garnacha): Vivid ruby-red. Suave, spicy red fruit preserve and potpourri scents are complicated by notes of vanilla, licorice and mocha. Sappy, focused and energetic, offering sweet raspberry and cherry-cola flavors that are given lift by juicy acidity. Impressively pure and penetrating on the finish, which leaves floral pastille and smoky mineral notes behind. (Sep/Oct 2013)"
92+ points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "I have a weak spot for Viña Ardanza, as this was the very first serious Rioja I ever had the pleasure to taste at the start of my career (though I do have to say I liked the old, white label with the gold medals on the side so much better than the current tan label, even if the old one was a bit 'campy'), so I was very happy to see that the 2004 Reserva was a very successful wine. This is plenty ripe at 13.5 percent alcohol, but classy and balanced at the same time, as it offers up a fine bouquet of cherries, cloves, red plums, a touch of cardamom, lovely soil tones, nutskins, cocoa and a combination of American and French oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and velvety, with a fine core, lovely focus and balance, fine-grained tannins and a long, refined and nascently complex finish. This is really a lovely wine in the making, and while it is extremely tasty today in its youthful innocence, I would tuck it away in the cellar for three or four years and let its secondary layers of complexity emerge. Lovely juice. 2017-2040+. (May/Jun 2014)"
93 points Neal Martin (Wine Advocate): "The 2004 Vina Ardanza is a blend of 80% Tempranillo and 20% Garnacha from 30-year-old vines in Fuenmayor and Cenicero. It is aged for 36 months in four-year-old American oak. It has a very enticing bouquet with dark cherry, Christmas cake, dried fig and espresso with fine delineation and bags of exuberance. The palate is medium-bodied with taut tannins, underpinned by a keen citric thread that cuts through the licorice-tinged, dark berry and allspice-tinged fruit with style. It is simply delicious on the bittersweet finish. Drink now-2020+. (Aug 2012)"
93 points Peñín Guide: "(tempranillo 80%, garnacha 20%). Colour: deep cherry, orangey edge. Nose: fruit liqueur notes, spicy, cigar, old leather, balsamic herbs. Palate: balanced, fine tannins, long, spicy. (2013)"
92 points Stephen Tanzer (International Wine Cellar): "(80% tempranillo and 20% garnacha): Vivid ruby-red. Suave, spicy red fruit preserve and potpourri scents are complicated by notes of vanilla, licorice and mocha. Sappy, focused and energetic, offering sweet raspberry and cherry-cola flavors that are given lift by juicy acidity. Impressively pure and penetrating on the finish, which leaves floral pastille and smoky mineral notes behind. (Sep/Oct 2013)"
92+ points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "I have a weak spot for Viña Ardanza, as this was the very first serious Rioja I ever had the pleasure to taste at the start of my career (though I do have to say I liked the old, white label with the gold medals on the side so much better than the current tan label, even if the old one was a bit 'campy'), so I was very happy to see that the 2004 Reserva was a very successful wine. This is plenty ripe at 13.5 percent alcohol, but classy and balanced at the same time, as it offers up a fine bouquet of cherries, cloves, red plums, a touch of cardamom, lovely soil tones, nutskins, cocoa and a combination of American and French oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and velvety, with a fine core, lovely focus and balance, fine-grained tannins and a long, refined and nascently complex finish. This is really a lovely wine in the making, and while it is extremely tasty today in its youthful innocence, I would tuck it away in the cellar for three or four years and let its secondary layers of complexity emerge. Lovely juice. 2017-2040+. (May/Jun 2014)"
| Product SKU | 317539 |
| Producer | La Rioja Alta |
| Country | Spain |
| Vintage | 2004 |
| Size | 750ml |
| Color | Red |
| Ships To |
